Machine for operating on metal stock by rollers



Nov. '24, 1953 E. 1.. VTINLEY ET AL MACHINE FOR OPERATING ON METAL STOCK BY ROLLERS Filed Aug. 22, 195i 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Nov. 24, 1953 E. 1.. TINLEY ET AL 2,660,214

MACHINE FOR OPERATING ON METAL STOCK BY ROLLERS Filed Aug. 22, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN TORS WM/L W BY I M W M Mm Arr/J N V 4, 1953 E. L. TlNLEY ET AL ,660,214

MACHINE FOR OPERATING ON METAL STOCK BY ROLLERS Filed Aug. 22, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 &\ 71/1/1114 I INVENTORSI M M \M My I ,p 464W 4 rry:

Nov. 24, 1953 E. L. TINLEY ET AL MACHINE FOR OPERATING ON METAL STOCK BY ROLLERS Filed Aug. 22, 195 1 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG. 7.

FIG.5;

INVENTORS:

Patented Nov. 24, 1953 MAQHINEEQRQP AI G N METAL TQQKLB QLLEES.

Ernest Lambert Tinley, Wolverhampton, and 11mm Alber Hallett, Oheltenham-,. Eng an assisnnrs J oshfla Bi WQQd: St Son). Limi ed. W verhampton. En d. a. B t sh. milla emy a lieati augustzz, 1951, Serial'No. 246,898

whims, toilets- This. inventionrelates. to, machines. for operat=. mg on meta1 stockby rollers, for example ma:v chines. for: bendingmetal, plates; shape and; sec-- tion straightening machinesv and roller levellers, these machines being provided with: means for adjusting the. rollers orv roller shafts in a. direc- UOII. transverse. to. their length. For instance in, a: plate-bending machine having a plurality; of: rollers; 11711511181131 to provide separate and independent-vertical; adjustments for; each end bear-v ing of the topv rollshaft and; toprovide for simulhneous adiustmentsrforthe end bearings of the back-.- rollshaft. by; making the respective. bearing housings,v slidaloly, adjustable the machine frame.

The object. of the present; invention isv to pro vide on, the, machine: or elsewhere indicating. meansior showing-the positions orthe axes-ofthe: adjustable rolls, Furthermore, the present invention provides. means: whereby; either; on the machine or at airemo-te. position; a. plurality of; indicators are. grouped: together: so; that; ally the desired. indicators can; beseen. at .a-glance.

The. presentinvention. incorporates an. indicatev ing device of; known. construction per se, or a,

numberof; such! devices -each. comprising: a. trans.-.

According; to the present invention; in a ma -v. chine-of the-.kind; described the transmitters.-. of:

indicating devices. of the: type specified are mountedszon'. the. machineirame adj acent'thesach. justable bearing. housings. of the roll shafts, and? mechanical, means; are. provided. for converting linear sliding movements. (if-each adj ustableibeare inghousinginto angular movements. of a. trans! mitter rotor, the receivers of which are coupled: tothesetransmitters; allloeing mounted near'each other: upon. the. machine .or at a. position remote therefrom, and each receiver rotor beingzadapted to. operate a. roll position indicator.

The mechanical means ion operating the rotor of a transmitter may comprise a sprocket wheel or pulleysecured onv the rotor spindle, this sproeka' et wheel orpulley having a flexiblemember, such for example as. a length of sprocket chain at- .itached to its periphery by one end, the. opposite end of. the flexible memberbeing connected. with. the roll shaftbearing housing and a spring: being provided which is: tensioned by rotation: of the rotor spindle one. direction, whereby the.

; flexible member iskept in: a state of tension;

The invention will now: be further described with reference toq the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a front elevation partly/in: sectionof' a sheet metal bending machine. constructed according. to the invention Figure 2 is. a planview-.parfly' in-v section. of the. machine. shown in-v Figure 11;

Figure 3 is a sectional side elevation on. the line. 3*3of Figure- 1 Figure: 4 is. a fragmentary sectional elevation on the line. 4-.4-. of Figure. 3; this view being to an enlarged; scale;

Figure?! is a side: elevation ofrFigureA;

Figure 6 is a sectional enda elevation: showing a detail of construction; and" Figure? istasectional viewtoianzenlargediscale on the line-1+1 ofFigure: 3;

Referring. tov the drawings,- the machine: is on generally: known construction and comprises: a pair-of noneadjustablebottomrolls: ll]; aitopvroll:

Hand adoacleroll l=2; 'I-hetshaftr or the toprollt.

II is: mounted. in end. bearing housings: l3 and I4; respectively; each housing: being supported; at theiupper endroff'a screwthreaded shaft: lliiwlrich-v engages the: correspondinglyscrewthreadedr bore of: a worm wheel [6. Rotation of the: worm wheels l6 raises or= lowers the bearing housings I3 and I 4; thus providing adjustmentof the top: roll l'l and these worm wheels-are-powerdriven-l by means of worms. ll ona-shaft I8; this shaft; being capable of connection: with a driving shaft [9 associated with a main gearbox: 2Il' by-means of a clutch:2 l having a contro1'lever22. Afurther clutch-23zis provided on-the shaft l8 betweenthe worms ll" so that the" bearing housing. I1? may be raised orlowered. independently; of the bearing housing" [4.

Each shaft l5 is'enclosed in a housing 24; thelower end: of" which is provided with a tubular extension: 25, and at the bottom end of each shaft I5 is secured a coaxial rod 26 (Figures i and 5) and these rods perform the same: raising and loweringmovements asdo the-shafts l 5 and bearing housingsl3 1 At the lower end of each tubular extension 25 is secured the transmitter 21 of an indicating device of the type previously described, and upon the rotor shaft 28 of each transmitter is secured a sprocket wheel 2s. A sprocket chain 39 is anchored by one end 31 to the sprocket wheel, is passed aroundthe periphery of the wheel 29, and is connected by its other end to the lower end of the rod 26 by a turnbuckle 32 which provides a means for adjusting the effective length of the chain 30. A spiral spring (not shown) is associated with the spindle 28 of the transmitter 21, and is tensioned as the sprocket wheel 29 is rotated in a direction to unwind the chain 36 therefrom as the rod 26 rises, so that the chain is maintained in a state of tension, and will rewind back onto the sprocket when the rod 2'6 moves downwardly.

A safety device to prevent overwinding of the chains 30 back into the sprockets 29 is indicated diagrammatically in Figure 6, a cam 33 being provided on the rotor shaft 23 of the transmitter, and an electric cutout or limit switch, indicated at 34, being provided in the path of the cam for operation thereby should the sprocket rotate to a position from which further rotation would endanger the transmitter-actuating mechanism. The switch 34 may operate in any well-known manner to stop the driving of the worm or worms H, as for instance by cutting on current supply to the machine-driving motor 35 (Figure 2) until either the clutch 2! is disengaged, or the rotation of the driving shaft [9 is reversed through the medium of the gearbox 20.

The back roll I2 (Figures 3 and '7) is mounted in similar end bearing housings 36 which are both adjusted together identically. each being carried at the upper end of a screwthreaded rod 3'! and the rods being moved up or down in like manner to the rods i by worms 38 and wormwheels 39 on a shaft ill, the shaft 2-!) being driven from the driving shaft I9 by the sprocket chain 4|. A clutch 42 operated by a lever 53 is provided on the shaft 0 for connection or disconnection of the drive to the shaft 60, as desired, but both Worms 38 rotate together.

One bearing housing 38 has one end of a sprocket chain 30 (Figure '7) secured to a lug M on the housing by means of turnbuckle 32, and the other end of the chain 3D is secured to a sprocket wheel 29 on the rotor shaft 28 of a transmitter 21, the operation thereof being as previously described with reference to the top roll.

The three transmitters 2! are coupled with three receivers (not shown), the rotor shafts of which operate pointers 45 (Figures 1 and 2) which move over suitably calibrated dials 46, and the dials will be suitably marked, so that each is identifiable with the particular roll-bearing housing movement it is recording. In the example described one dial will indicate the position of the axis of the back roll, of which both bearing housings must be adjusted together, but the other two dials will each record the movement of one of the end bearing housings of the top roll, and as one can be adjusted independently of the other to place the roll in a tilted position relative to the fixed rolls for special work, the difference between the position of the roll axis at one end bearing and at the other end bearing will be readily observable by comparing the two dials.

All the receivers are mounted near each other upon an indicator panel 4? situated near the clutch-operating levers 23, 43, and the motor and 4 gearbox operating levers 48, so that all the indicator dials can be readily observed by the machine operator, who by this invention can effect roll adjustment with speed and accuracy.

What we claim then is:

1. In combination with a machine for operating on metal stock by rollers of the kind having at least a pair of co-operating rollers on spaced parallel axes, at least one of which rollers is supported in bearings which are linearly adjustable for the purpose of adjusting the position of this roller in relation to the co-operating roller; a rotary electromagnetic data transmitter and receiver system including a transmitter having a rotor, a flexible driving member of elongated form, connected at one end with an adjustable bearing and connected at the other end with the rotor of the transmitter so as to produce angular movement of the rotor in response to linear movement of the bearing, means for maintaining said flexible driving member in a state of tension and a roller position indicator including a scale and a pointed co-operating therewith and operatively connected with the receiver rotor of the transmitter and receiver system.

2. In combination with a machine for operating on metal stock by rollers of the kind having at least a pair of co-operating rollers on spaced parallel axes, at least one of which rollers is supported in bearings which are linearly adjustable for the purpose of adjusting the position of this roller in relation to the co-operating roller; a rotary electromagnetic data transmitter and receiver system including a transmitter having a rotor, a wheel or pulley mounted on the spindle of said transmitter rotor, a flexible driving member of elongated form, connected at one end with an adjustable bearing and connected at the other end to the periphery of said wheel or pulley so as to produce angular movement of the rotor in response to linear movement of the bearing spring means acting on said rotor spindle so as to maintain the driving member in a state of tension and a roller position indicator including a scale and a pointer co-operating therewith and operatively connected with the receiver rotor of the transmitter and receiver system.

3. In combination with a machine for operating on metal stock by rollers or" the kind having at least a pair of co-operating rollers on spaced parallel axes, at least one of which rollers is supported in bearings which are linearly adjustable for the purpose of adjusting the position of this roller in relation to the co-operating roller; a rotary electromagnetic data transmitter and receiver system including a transmitter having a rotor, a sprocket wheel mounted on the spindle of said transmitter rotor, a driving member comprisinga length of sprocket chain, connected at one end with an adjustable bearing and having the other end in driving engagement with said sprocket wheel so as to produce angular movement or" the rotor in response to linear movement of the bearing, spring means acting on said rotor spindle so as to maintain the driving member in a state of tension, and a roller position indicator including a scale and a pointer cooperating therewith and operatively connected with the receiverv rotor of the transmitter and receiver system.

4. In combination with a machine for operating on metal stock by rollers of the kind having at least a pair of co-operating rollers on spaced parallel axes, at least one of which rollers is supported in bearings which are linearly adjustable for the purpose of adjusting the position of this roller in relation to the co-operating roller; a rotary electromagnetic data transmitter and receiver system including a transmitter having a rotor, a sprocket wheel mounted on the spindle of said transmitter rotor, a driving member comprising a length of sprocket chain, a turnbuckle connecting one end of said chain with an adjustable bearing, the other end of said chain being in driving engagement with said sprocket wheel so as to produce angular movement of the rotor in response to linear movement of the bearing, spring means acting on said rotor spindle so as to maintain the driving member in a state of tension, and a roller position indicator including a scale and a pointer co-operating therewith and operatively connected with the receiver rotor of the transmitter and receiver system.

5. In combination with a machine for operating on metalstock by rollers of the kind having a top roller supported in bearings which are independently adjustable in a direction at right angles to the roller axis and a back roller supported in bearings which are simultaneously ad justable in a direction at right angles to the back roller axis, a rotary electromagnetic data transmitter and receiver system including a transmitter mounted on the machine frame adjacent each bearing of the top roll and a transmitter mounted on the machine frame adjacent one of the bearings of the back roll, each transmitter having a rotor, a wheel or pulley mounted on the spindle of each transmitter rotor, a flexible driving member of elongated form, associated with each rotor, connected at one end with the associated adjustable bearing and connected at the other end to the periphery of said wheel or pulley so as to produce angular movement of the rotor in response to linear movement of the bearing, spring means acting on each rotor spin dle so as to maintain each driving member in a state of tension, a receiver associated with each transmitter, all the receivers being in close association with each other and a roller position indicator for each receiver including a scale and a pointer co-operating therewith and operatively connected with the associated receiver rotor.

6. In combination with a machine for operating on metal stock by rollers oi the kind having a top roller supported in bearings which are independently adjustable in a direction at right angles to the roller axis and a back roller supported in bearings which are simultaneously adjustable in a direction at right angles to the back roller axis, a rotary electromagnetic data transmitter and receiver system including a transmitter mounted on the machine frame adjacent each bearing of the top roll and a transmitter mounted on the machine frame adjacent one of the bearings of the back roll, each transmitter having a rotor, a sprocket wheel mounted on a spindle of each transmitter rotor, a driving member comprising a length of sprocket chain, connected at one end with the associated adjustable bearing and having the other end in driving engagement with said sprocket wheel so as to produce angular movement of the rotor in response to linear movement of the said bearing, spring means acting on each rotor spindle so as to maintain each driving member in a state of tension, a receiver associated with each transmitter, all the receivers being in close association with each other and a roller position indicator for each receiver including a scale and a pointer co-operating therewith and operatively connected with the associated receiver rotor.

7. In combination with a machine for operating on metal stock by rollers of the kind having a top roller supported in bearings which are independently adjustable in a direction at right angles to the roller axis and a back roller supported in bearings which are simultaneously adjustable in a direction at right angles to the back roller axis, a rotary electromagnetic data transmitter and receiver system including a transmitter mounted on the machine frame adjacent each bearing of, the top roll and a transmitter mounted on the machine frame adjacent one of the bearings of the back roll, each transmitter having a rotor, a sprocket wheel mounted on the spindle of each transmitter rotor, a driving member comprising a length of sprocket chain, a turnbuckle connecting one end of each said chain with its associated adjustable bearing, the other end of said chain being in driving engagement with a said sprocket wheel so as to produce angular movement of the rotor in response to linear movement of the bearing, spring means acting on each rotor spindle so as to maintain the driving members in a state of tension, 3, receiver associated with each transmitter, all the receivers being in close association with each other and a roller position indicator for each receiver including a scale and a pointer cooperating therewith and operatively connected with the associated receiver rotor.

ERNEST LAMBERT TINLEY.

HENRY ALBERT HALLETT.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,745,539 Hume Feb. 4, 1930 2,196,231 Ridway Apr. 9-, 1940 2,503,597 Rodder Apr. 11, 1950 

